Long Realty is pleased to bring you tips for Living in Arizona, courtesy of our local Long Advantage business partners. The articles below covers an array of helpful and insightful tips for the Arizona lifestyle. We hope you find this information useful.

Prepare Your Pool for Summer Fun

April 28, 2017

It's that time of year again - time to get the pool in shape for the summer season! Below are some quick tips to help ensure that your swim season gets off to a great start.

Look around and check for signs of leaks in the plumbing, wetness around the pump motor or
on the concrete pad. Also make sure you have good circulation of water in your pump basket - it
should be filled with water. Then, test your water for the level of total dissolved solids (TDS),
such as calcium, in the water to determine whether you need to drain and refill your pool.
Arizona's water is so "hard" (laden with calcium and minerals) that the buildup can prevent your
pool chemicals from doing their job. In some cases, the TDS levels are so high that a pool
needs draining and refilling with clean water that will respond to the chemicals in appropriate
amounts. Pools usually need to be drained every three to five years, as TDS levels get high
over time. If your pool is salt-chlorinated, check salt levels and clean the cells regularly,
especially if the salt system stops producing when the weather cools off (most stop
automatically at about 55 degrees). Raise the chlorine level above 5.0. The shock will oxidize
"dead" material that the chlorine has killed, such as bacteria, algae and skin cells.

Once you have checked your pool for leaks and have the chemicals in order, it's just as
important to maintain its upkeep. If you don't have a pool service, devote time every week to a
thorough cleaning of the pool, which involves netting out the debris, vacuuming, brushing the
pool down, emptying the skimmer and pump baskets, and chemically treating the water. A great
helper is an automatic pool cleaner. Most likely your pool pump runs all year, so maintenance
on it should be ongoing. Inspect the strainer basket regularly for cracks, which can let debris
pass through. It is also important to maintain the chemical balance in addition to cleaning filters
every few months depending on the filter size and environmental surroundings. Finally, have the
tile cleaned of the heavy calcium build up every few years. Algae sometimes grows underneath
the scale and can cause problems in the pool.

The best thing to do to solve the majority of problems are:
- Keep fresh water in the pool
- Make sure filters are clean
- Make sure there is good water circulation in the pool
- Chemicals are balanced
- Run the filter for a long period of time in higher speed if you have a variable or dual speed
motor.